Commemorating the 100th Birthday of General "Chappie" James, Jr.

February 9, 2020 6:06pm

My wife and I attended tonight’s dinner commemorating the 100th birthday of Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr. (born February 11, 1920).

Chappie James was one of Pensacola's most esteemed men. His father worked for the gas company, and his mother was a school teacher. As a child, he would look up and see Navy pilots from NAS Pensacola flying overhead.

He aspired to become a pilot, but he was told that black men can't be pilots. So what did he become? A pilot! And not just any pilot. He trained the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, flew combat missions over Korea & Vietnam, was promoted to General, and became the Commanding Officer at NORAD where he oversaw all strategic aerospace defense forces of North America. He was the first African-American to achieve the rank of 4-star General in any of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Last year, I visited his grave at the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2550816588269070&set=p.2550816588269070&type=3&theater

Cris Dosev is leading the effort to get the new bridge named for General James. Cris has succeeded at all the necessary local levels and is now working with the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee to make it a done deal. I interviewed Cris Dosev about Chappie James on The Mike Bates Show yesterday. That interview can be heard at https://www.themikebatesshow.com/podcasts/200208 (segment 4).

This dinner is a fundraiser for the Chappie James Museum and the General Daniel "Chappie" James Flight Academy.